molting or dying?

[agalbo]

I am a teacher, and my students found a praying mantis last week. We set up a habitat for it. They have been misting it every day. At first the mantis was energetic and had an enormous appetite, eating tons of bugs. A few days ago it ate 4 large crickets. Now for the last two days it has been hanging from the top of the cage in the same spot. It has has not eaten. It's head and legs seem to be in a fixed position. It has not moved from the location, but it it is not totally motionless. Its antennas are waving gently and its abdomen seems to expand and contract. Also, if the habitat is moved, it seems to "tense up. What is it doing? Is it molting? dying? sick? injured? getting ready to lay eggs?

 

[wuwu]

it sounds like it's ready to molt, unless it's an adult already. does it have wings?

 

[Ian]

That does sound typical of the process before shedding. Do you have any photos of this specimen?

 

[Rick]

This time of year it is probably already an adult and if so then molting would be out of the question.

 

[agalbo]

Well...... this morning we found our praying mantis on the floor, not moving and on its side. We fear it might have been killed or paralized by a spider that a student had placed in there the day we made the habitat for her. Now... the mantis is on its back, with a front hand stuck on the spider web, and grasping a live cricket on the other. By our observations, the mantis still has very little movement on its antennae. What do we do?

 

[agalbo]

it sounds like it's ready to molt, unless it's an adult already. does it have wings?

It does have wings, and it is about 2 1/2-3 in. long.

 

[jellyflakes]

it is now most likely to be at the end of its jorney

 

[OGIGA]

Oh man, mine has been acting like agalbo's but I've been poking it and moving it. I hope I didn't screw it up.

 

[OGIGA]

I think it's dead now.